ASU freshman guard Luguentz Dort went 0/5 to start his first college game.
He ended it with 28 points, an ASU record for a freshman in a season opener, and the Sun Devils notched a double overtime win against the reigning Big West tournament champion Cal State Fullerton.
“It was my first college game, so I was a little nervous,” Dort said. “I talked to Coach Hurley and the other staff and told me to calm down and the game is going to come to me in the second half.”
The shots began to fall and Dort showed his coach and the ASU faithful what he can do.
“He’s so poised, his presence, mature for a freshman,” Hurley said. “He’s very gifted. In a ball-screen, he’s very hard to deal with when he gets downhill and gets to that back line. He can really elevate and finish.”
Rob Edwards and Zylan Cheatham both played significant minutes in their respective Sun Devil debuts. Edwards was 2/5 from 3-point range with six rebounds in 41 minutes. Cheatham added 12 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. Romello White had an efficient 10 points on 5/8 shooting with six rebounds.
Sophomore Kimani Lawrence was second in scoring with 16 points and added three 3-pointers, a new wrinkle in his skillset.
“I say this a lot, but I work on my game a lot and focused on my shot a lot this offseason,” Lawrence said. “Every shot I took in the game, I felt like it was going in.”
Remy Martin, who Bobby Hurley said was about 60% health-wise tonight, had eight points with four of them coming in a crucial stretch to put the Sun Devils ahead in double overtime.
After a slow start in the first half where ASU shot 33 percent from the field, they shot 55 percent in the second half and 60% from behind in the arc.
The Sun Devils continue their season against McNeese State on Friday at 7 pm.
